College responds to Panorama investigation, Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed

Embargoed until 01 June 2011

Commenting on the Panorama investigation into
abuse at a unit for people with learning disbailities
(Undercover Care: The Abuse Exposed,shown
on BBC1 on 31 May 2011), Dr Ian Hall, chair of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists' Faculty of the Psychiatry of Learning Disablity,
said:

"The practices shown in the Panorama
documentary are appalling, and must never be used when supporting
people with learning disability. People with learning
disability should always be treated with dignity and respect.
If they talk about being treated badly, then this must always be
taken seriously, by everyone, including hospital managers and
regulators.

"People with learning disability do sometimes
behave in a way that challenges services and carers. Treating
people with dignity and respect goes a long way to preventing such
behaviour. Where such behaviour does occur, there are
established good practice therapeutic guidelines for managing
it. There is absolutely no place for punishment, or inhuman or
degrading treatment in the management of such behaviour."

In June 2007, the Royal College of Psychiatrists published a
College Report detailing good practice guidelines for supporting
people with learning disabilities who are at risk of receiving
abusive or restrictive practices: